ROCKWELL COMMANDER'S NOSEWHEEL WILL NOT EXTEND AND A GEAR UP LNDG RESULTS.
Synopsis
ROCKWELL COMMANDER'S NOSEWHEEL WILL NOT EXTEND AND A GEAR UP LNDG RESULTS.
Narrative
THE FLT WAS INITIATED UNDER VFR. THE AIRPLANE WAS ROCKWELL COMMANDER (112TC); AND THE PURPOSE OF THE FLT WAS PERSONAL WITH NO PAX. ABOUT 10 MINS INTO THE FLT; A NORMAL VISUAL APCH FOR A LNDG WAS STARTED ABOUT 5 MI NE OF ZZZ. THE LNDG INFO WAS OBTAINED FROM A PLT WHO WAS ON THE GND AT THAT TIME. DURING THE DSCNT TO A 45 DEG ENTRY TO THE RWY 32; THE LNDG GEAR SELECTOR WAS LOWERED FOR THE EXTENSION. ALTHOUGH THE MAIN LNDG GEAR WERE EXTENDED NORMALLY TO THE DOWN/LOCKED POS WITH THE CONFIRMATION OF 2 GREEN LIGHTS; THE NOSE GEAR FAILED; WHICH WAS CONFIRMED BY THE RED ANNUNCIATOR (GEAR/INTERMITTENT POS) LIGHT AND NO GREEN LIGHT; THE BULB OF WHICH WAS FUNCTIONING AFTER THE TEST. A NORMAL APCH WAS FOLLOWED UP TO THE DOWNWIND LEG WHILE THE EMER PROCS SUCH AS PRESSURE RELEASE AND HIGH 'G' PULL-UPS; TO ASSIST TO EXTEND THE GEAR PRESCRIBED IN THE CHKLIST WERE BEING PERFORMED. AT THIS POINT; THE NORMAL LNDG PATTERN WAS ABANDONED AND RADIO CONTACT WAS TRIED TO CALL UP GND PERSONNEL FOR ASSISTANCE. THE ARPT OP PERSONNEL FROM ZZZ RESPONDED AND 1 LOW FLY-BY WAS PERFORMED TO VISUALLY CHK THE GEAR CONDITION. THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE NOSE GEAR WAS UP POS. AFTER THE INTENTION TO LAND AT ZZZ WAS STATED; THE ARPT OPERATOR CALLED FOR THE EQUIP AND IT WAS DECIDED TO CIRCLE UNTIL THE FUEL LEVEL BECAME LOWER. ABOUT 2 HRS WORTH OF FUEL WAS LEFT AT THE LNDG. THE ARPT WAS CLOSED FOR OTHER TFC DURING THE INCIDENT. LNDG WAS STARTED AFTER PERFORMING 1 MORE LOW FLY-BY AND THE EMER GEAR EXTENSION PROC. A NORMAL SOFT-FIELD LNDG PROC WAS CARRIED OUT. THE FUEL SELECTOR VALVE WAS TURNED INTO THE 'OFF' POS OVER THE NUMBERS AND THE THROTTLE AND MIXTURE CTL WAS RETARDED DURING THE FLARE. AFTER THE TOUCHDOWN; THE AIRPLANE NOSE WAS GRADUALLY COMING ONTO THE RWY SURFACE. THERE WERE OBVIOUS DAMAGES ON THE PROP TIPS; UNDER COWLING; AND NOSE GEAR DOORS. AFTER THE LCL AUTH PERMITTED TO MOVE THE AIRPLANE; IT WAS TOWED TO THE FBO ON THE FIELD. THE MECHS INSPECTED THE NOSE GEAR; WHICH WAS STILL IN UP POS; GEAR DOOR; AND ACTUATOR VISUALLY BUT NO ABNORMALITY WAS FOUND. THEN EXTENSION/RETRACTION OF THE GEAR WAS TRIED ON THE JACKS. THE MAIN AND NOSE GEAR FUNCTIONED NORMALLY SEVERAL TIMES AND RESPONDED PROPERLY TO THE EMER EXTENSION. NO ABNORMALITY WAS FOUND.
Source: NASA Aviation Safety Reporting System (public domain). Reports are voluntary submissions and are not verified by NASA.